


And they will speak about the stars

by theseatheseatheopensea



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alcohol, Found Family, Friendship/Love, Gen, Multi, Other, The Force, space imagery, spirituality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 15:39:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17327741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theseatheseatheopensea/pseuds/theseatheseatheopensea
Summary: Here and now, the stars shine like fire.Some things never change. Maz always has a watering hole. And everyone is  always welcome. (Fighting still isn't allowed, though!)





	And they will speak about the stars

The dream is almost over  
If I could only fit the pieces back together  
So when I wake up I'll find you on my shoulder  
So when I wake up there'll be stardust in my eyes

There will be no stars to hold us in the sky  
There will be no bonds to break, no bitter tears to cry  
There will be no stars to hold us in the sky  
There will only be the distant lights that softly flicker  
Fade away, away

\- Figures on a beach: [No stars](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqq_g18pCIc).

*

It's been a thousand years. Maybe more. And, after a century of working in watering holes, Maz has learnt a thing or two. She knows people, all too well. She watches them come and go. She pours drinks for them. She knows their music and their poetry and their art. And every once in a while, she looks up from the glass she's polishing. She looks up to the sky. She sees everything. And she knows.

Some things are timeless.

She doesn't even have to _look_ anymore. Not really. Deep down, all the pilots are the same. They all have a favourite, up there in the sky. Something to remind them of home. Something to help them find their way in the night. Something that brings them back. And something that says _yes, there is something out there, something for me._ Something. Or someone.

Not all of them would easily admit to it, though. But here, at her tavern, they might. At night, after a long journey, with tired eyes and hands and words. When their defenses are low and their hearts are slightly open. After a drink or two or three.

Maybe then. Maybe then, they will be open. They will be real. And they will speak about the stars. Their words will be soft, like a sigh. Like a little tear. They know that it's silly to wish upon the stars. But sometimes, they'll do it anyway. Why not? And she will nod and hum in agreement, and she will pour more drinks, and she will always listen. It might be a bit boring, a bit tiresome. But that's alright. There's no shame in that. It's the least she can do. After all, they keep her in business.

The planets turn, the places change. And maybe she's been here for an hour. Maybe she's been here forever. But when he sits down at the bar, she remembers. She's seen this one before. His name is Poe, or maybe not. But that isn't really important. He has the same eyes. The same heart.

And he is no different, no matter how much he tries to hide it. A bit sad, a bit soft. A bit weak, perhaps. A bit scared. He sits at the bar and he orders and he bites his tongue, but the words pour out of him anyway. He can't help it. He drinks and he remembers and he talks. He says it, almost in a whisper. For him, it's Orion. He doesn't know why. Maybe it's because of a forgotten story from his childhood. Maybe it's because of that perfect symmetry. Maybe he just chose it at random, in a heartbeat, one lonely night. Maybe he simply liked how the name sounded. Or maybe it reminded him of something.

Something, yes. Or maybe someone. His voice is soft and low and tender, almost ashamed. He wanted to touch the stars, he says. That's why he learnt to fly. He wanted to, but he never could. But still, he flew. He saw a world of stars, filling the sky. He can't always see them, but he knows they are there. He is still searching. 

He is a bit lost, and he just needs this reminder.

He has something here in this universe, in this place where he belongs. He knows. He has a home, and people to share it with. People who will sometimes wear his jacket. People who go, but who always come back. Sometimes it's hard to believe it, but he knows that it's real. From now on, he knows that he'll find the stars right here. They are close, so close that he can touch them.

Maybe it is the Force. That bit of magic in those three little jewels, way up here. He sits among these endless, unnamed stars he loves. So close, but so far away. So high. And he doesn't want to forget. He promises. He is here, tonight. He is here, with Rey. And he reaches out, with his feelings, like she said. It's all a part of being alive. And it's all about belonging. 

For a moment, out of time, they sit here. Here, where it feels like home. Where everyone is welcome.

And they sit here, and they wait for Finn. They wait, until he walks through the door. The stars have brought him home, once again. And he sits with them, and they ask Maz for more drinks, and they breathe and they laugh. And they are together again. And all he hears now is _this_ , this heartbeat. He looks at these eyes and these hands, and they spell it out. He feels it all around him, beating out a precious, unexpected gift in the night. Warm and gentle and quiet, like kindness.

Here and now, the stars shine like fire. They remind him of something bright and rare, like a jewel. And he swears. _No, these are not tears, they are not sad. They are way too bright._ Yes, he swears. He promises.


End file.
